Hi
I’m only 43 but am experiencing short term memory loss.
I used to be good at doing sums in my head, now it’s harder, I use the calculator instead. I put my phone down and a minute later I can’t remember where I put it. Etc.
The PD nurse say it’s too early for me to have that problem as I was only diagnosed 1 year ago.
She said it might be the medication or just my anxiety.
What do other people think? I take sinemet, amantadine and mirapex.
Thanks.
To quote the section on memory loss on the main Parkinsons UK site :
“Your doctor may use the term ‘mild cognitive impairment’ to describe this. Mild memory and thinking problems will not affect all people with Parkinson’s, and can occur at any stage of the condition.”
I am no expert but it sounds like it doesn’t matter if you are one year or 31 years diagnosed, mild memory problems can occur.
Rose
I was diagnosed 15 months ago and it’s one of the things I have noticed. I regularly lose my train of thought especially during long conversations. I find it very embarrassing when you suddenly stop talking mid sentence and can’t remember what you was going to say.
Oh the joys of PD !!!
Hi Wildrover
Yes I guess it is the PD itself.
In that situation, personally I wouldn’t want to get embarrassed about it, I’d just say to the person I have PD because I’ve spent enough time with a psychoanalyst being reminded that I’m always attacking myself and I don’t want to do it any more.
I also have this odd problem with people’s names, with some people I get their names mixed up, even people I’ve known for years! Decades in some cases. My solution is I don’t address them by name.
I have exactly the same symptoms
I have memory problems too, especially remembering names . As A memory aid, I try to assign pictures in my head for particular names. Eg 1. I know one or two Kim s. I envisage a King In his Moat 2. I always forget one of our doctor’s names. If I get the first syllable, How, I remember the whole name. So I have this picture of our doc dressed as a Red Indian complete with feathers, holding his hand out saying How!
The funnier the picture, the better it helps.
I have the same problem with some things. I frequently have to look at my watch twice before I take in what time it is. Also remembering names, I have the same problem as ElleMac. For ladies names where possible I associate them with a song which has their name in the title (Caroline, Valerie, Carol…) Then, curiously, when I see them the song plays in my head and then I remember their name!
Yes I have the same problem and I was told exactly the same (diagnosed a year ago). I am not so bad since on Sinemet, but it still happens just not as frequently. Loosing threads of conversations, forgetting words & names. I had it before any medication and it caused a lot of problems. It is often linked to being distracted by something else - even somebody else saying something.
I don’t lose the thread of conversations. What I am worried about is the memory issues progressing and then having more issues like with attention and then not being able to work effectively anymore.
I certainly experience mild short term memory loss, and in fact it was one of the things that made me suspect I had PD before I was diagnosed, in particular that I had more difficulty doing mental arithmetic. However, it does not appear to be getting worse, and I’ve also noticed that it is less severe when I am not stressed, while worrying about it definitely exacerbates it.
Lately when I’m at home I’m finding that I’m constantly looking for where I’ve put things, like a cup of tea I was holding, or my shoes, my phone. If I’ve put something down I won’t remember a moment later where I put it. Anyone else have this problem?
Hi
I have been getting this cant remember names sometimes feel like i am calling family members the wrong name also lost parts of my memory
@gdubz1965 I do that all the time! I’m not sure it’s entirely down to the PD though as my mother and grandmother were exactly the same as they got older. It’s become something of a family tradition and joke!
I repeat the name of what I am going to get when I go from one room to another, it helps me avoid some repeated trips! Trouble is I have to remember to do it!
I forget passwords within seconds of making them. I’m having to write everything down. Yesterday I can remember my phone alarm reminding me to take my sinemet but I can’t recall taking it!
I’m newly diagnosed so I don’t know whether it’s my pd or meds causing this.
I’m glad I’ve found the forum, it’s good to be able to reach out
Hello VW I am 64 and much of PD is a learning experience. Many things effect memory. Stop and take a look at the whole picture what might cause the problem.
It is very easy to think parkies is all of the cause. It may not totally be.
43 when I look back was a time(Don’ t your family situation) the demand for managing my family was not easy. Job, home, TEENAGE CHILDREN and with that all added up not enough time in a day to get it done. There are very few people disease free can cognitively multitask under such a load. Research shows this. So short term memory suffers.
I can only make suggestions based on my experience and I am no doctor. I had cognition testing before diagnosis. I did mess up. But the doctor in charge looked at my case. What he discovered was my sleep pattern had a big effect on my cognition. Not enough sleep and disrupted. (tired) Once we figured out the cause of sleep lose and came up with a plan to improve sleep. They retested again and a big improvement was was attained in test score.
What I have learned is to make list of most important to least. Slow down a little. Finish one your done. Then go to the next.Focus on your accomplishments and not on the unfinished. Soon you will be more relaxed and forget far less. Hope this helps. Take one day at a time. Good day tom.
